Best of 2017

The Young Folks’ Top 50 Albums of 2017

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 21-11 | 10-1

30. Slowdive – Slowdive

22 years after they last released new music, the iconic shoegazing band Slowdive delivered a stunning comeback in the form of their self-titled album. At times, The record feels a direct successor to their 1993 masterpiece Souvlaki, particularly on cloudy, dream-like songs like “Sugar for the Pill” and “No Longer Making Time”, which update the band’s signature hazy sound in the new millennium. Not one to rest on their laurels, Slowdive also take the opportunity to play on their own formula on songs like the piano-loop driven “Falling Ashes”, which carries repetition as a thematic element, and “Star Roving”, which cranks the normally somber band’s volume up a few notches. Above all, Slowdive is a gorgeous record that makes a case for shoegazing’s place in the ever-shrinking world of indie music in 2017, and one of the best comeback records of recent memory. It’s a record that makes you both glad to have an excellent band back and excited to see how they follow up on the new ideas presented on it. – Ryan Gibbs

29. Jens Lekman – Life Will See You Now

Reeling from lukewarm reception to his criminally underrated I Know What Love Isn’t, Jens took his sweet time in giving us another album, waiting about four and a half years before giving us Life Will See You Now, his best album and one of the best products of 2017. Though two early tracks, including one about young Jens meeting a Mormon missionary twenty years ago and another about a 3D-printed tumor, might indicate an album about Jens’ relationship with god, but its his adorable streak – “You mouth out ‘I love you’ just like a parent spells out ‘ice cream’/’I-L-O-V-E-Y-O-U’/Like there’s kids in the room” or “She felt like the five-year-old watching the ten-year-olds shoplifting/Ten-year-old watching the fifteen-year-olds french kissing” – that wins the day. Ten self-contained stories full of rich lines, images, and musical ideas, Life Will See You Now is the full realization of Jens Lekman’s artistic potential. – Joey Daniewicz

28. Beck – Colors

13 albums into his career and Beck still knows how to get crazy with the cheese whiz. Colors is the tightest and most fun Beck has ever sounded on a record since his days with the Dust Brothers. Right from the get-go of the title track, Beck swings and bounces with boom-bap drums, funky bass lines and glimmering synthesizers. Those, along with Beck’s stellar guitar work, boost “Seventh Heaven,” “I’m So Free,” “Up All Night” and the summertime anthem “Dreams.” In fact, Colors might be the first time Beck has ever tried to make a summer album, let alone one this poppy. And for those still missing 90s Beck, the hazy funk-rap of “Wow” finds the 47-year-old dropping rhymes about life’s pleasures (“Smooth like a tidal wave, take you on a getaway”). – Jon Winkler

27. Drake – More Life

The hype surrounding Drake’s new album this year was contagious – everyone waited anxiously, wondering what new music the rapper would come up with next. Following up on his last success came More Life, a soulful compilation that included hits like “Passionfruit.” His “playlist” was a hit, showing a more personal side to Drake than we had seen with his more recent tracks. It was through these songs that we were able to understand more of the artist we all knew and loved. This album was a huge shift in the spring, and was a good indicator that we had the rest of 2017 to look forward to more and better music than ever before. – Reagan Harrison

26. LCD Soundsystem – American Dream

LCD Soundsystem needed that seven-year break. Without it, they would not have achieved what ‘American Dream’ brought us in 2017. The album is a depressive return party with a certain look at the past that includes 70’s dance touches and 80’s synthesizers. Its theme is complex, but at the same time, necessary: death, David Bowie, the American dream and the complexity of artistic creation. Not only does American Dream represent the triumphant return of the band led by James Murphy, but we also consider it to be the most danceable depressing albums of the year . – Cristina Moreano

25. Miguel – War & Leisure

Miguel’s voice is full of pure magnetism. Even when a new concept or experiment he’s trying doesn’t quite land, it’s a little easier to forgive him because of that voice.

War & Leisure finds Miguel on his way to a new sound that works better lyrically and vocally with what he’s trying to accomplish. It’s more restrained, the beats are tighter, and the songwriting is great. Tracks like the lead single “Sky Walker” or “Told You So” still showcase energy but a better structure is at play here which makes the album as a whole a better listening experience. And then of course – I have to mention it again – there is his amazing voice that elevates almost everything he does and reminds us that there should be more mainstream artists with his natural vocal talent willing to experiment like this. – Gabrielle Bondi

24. Migos – Culture

The expectations were fairly low. Sure, Migos, the Atlanta rap trio comprised of Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset, had released some good mixtapes and catchy singles. And yeah, their song “Versace” got a remix from Drake. But Atlanta already had modern rap superstars in the form of Gucci Mane, Future, and Young Thug. What could Migos offer that hadn’t been seen already? As it turns out, a hell of a lot. Their take on the triplet flow and signature staccato ad-libs gel better on Culture than on any of their previous releases, providing an album of nearly 13 straight bangers that’s propelled Migos to the forefront of hip-hop. Though the most famous of these is obviously “Bad and Boujee”—rain drop, drop top, anyone?—the group’s undeniable skill and unique sound is stamped on every track, garnering them comparisons to the Beatles in terms of influence on other artists. And that truly is the reason for the album’s greatness—the songs are excellent, certainly, but its long-lasting impact will forever be introducing Migos to the masses, both through their own work and through the work of countless other rappers who want to sound just like ATL’s finest. – Drew Norman

23. The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding

A Bryan Adams fever dream shrouded in ambient desert rock, A Deeper Understanding builds mountains out of simplicity. With new hidden instrumental touches being uncovered each time you revisit the album, the major label debut from The War on Drugs plays like an Impressionist painting, bursting forth with life and color, packed full of interlocking details. While it is steeped in nostalgia, the album is very much propelling its genre forward, fusing a variety of sounds in order to bring out the artistry within each. A Deeper Understanding is dripping with technical craftsmanship, but it also works as the perfect soundtrack for a late night drive with the windows rolled down. – Brian Thompson

22. MUNA – About U

Constructing a sophisticated, emotionally complex song is a task that can take years of creative searching, skill-development, and introspection; that’s why it’s so impressive that a group like MUNA can just come out of nowhere with a debut album so overflowing with excellence. On About U, it is clear that we are facing a generation of creators that has taken a new canon as a model to follow, a path initiated by geniuses such as Robyn and Karin Park, and later solidified by Carly Rae Jepsen and Dev Hynes. From the nostalgic “Winterbreak” to the low-key festive “I Know A Place”, MUNA reveals the way to a new understanding of pop songcraft. – Leonel Manzanares

21. Haim – Something to Tell You

There was an abundance of wonderful alternative pop this year, including our highly favored Melodrama by Lorde. However, if any one group was able to fit themselves into the specific hipster culture while also appealing to a mainstream audience it was sister act Haim. With their latest album Something to Tell You they managed to transcend genre with songs that allowed some grunge nuances into their pop friendly visage. Songs such as “Want You Back” and “Right Now” became some of the best summer songs to play, bringing along with it an atmosphere of endless days, balmy nights and an gentle but playful easy going nature. – Allyson Johnson